Odontogenic Sinusitis-Associated Pott's Puffy Tumor: A Case Report and Literature Review

Pott's puffy tumor (PPT) is a nonneoplastic complication of acute frontal sinusitis characterized by subperiosteal abscess (SPOA) formation and osteomyelitis. Although various clinical conditions are associated with frontal SPOA, cases associated with odontogenic sinusitis are rare. We report a recurrent case of frontal SPOA who had a previous history of craniotomy due to head trauma. The patient was presented with headache, facial swelling and diagnosed as frontal, ethmoid, and maxillary sinusitis with frontal SPOA, which is PPT. The patient was surgically managed by endoscopic sinus surgery and external drainage of the abscess. Although the symptoms had been relieved soon after the surgery, they were recurred after 1 week. By paranasal sinus computed tomography scans, it was suspected that severe carious teeth, which were missed before surgery, induced maxillary sinusitis which spread into the frontal sinus and subperiosteal areas inducing recurrence of disease. Our experience suggests that frontal SPOA may originate from odontogenic maxillary sinusitis caused by severe dental caries, which should be actively managed, especially in patients with the risk of spread of inflammation, such as those who have discontinuity in frontal bone.